The Merri Clan

The Details

The Merri Clan is a mother/daughter run vegan cafe and bar in Preston that opened in March 2017. Julia Tilley originally wanted to open a juice bar with some small food options like muffins. Until her daughter, Ahliah suggested that they have proper food options. They now have a full vegan menu with one vegetarian option if you would like to change it to cows cheese. (This will be changing in the next two weeks though when everything will be 100% vegan).

Ahliah has created the entire menu herself, though she has not come from a hospitality background. She actually has a bachelor of neuroscience which helps her in creating dishes that will satisfy your taste buds. Ahliah was raised vegetarian by her mother Julia, she decided later on in life after travelling and deciding that she can’t handle the idea of any animal being hurt.

The Merri Clan is unassumingly large and has both indoor and outdoor seating. The entire venue is like you are sitting in your own lounge room. It had to be built from scratch, the previous tenant was a retail store with a large ramp in the main building. A new kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor area were built and it is quite cozy. Interestingly it is named after the Merri creek that runs nearby to the cafe that the two have lived by for 18 years.

The food

Wow. The menu has breakfast and lunch options, I don’t think you will be disappointed with anything that you order. The burgers are a big hit, The Big Mock is just how it sounds. Big. Almost impossible to eat! Also, try the BBQ Burger or Jackfruit Banh Mi. The nachos have been rated as one of the best vegan nachos in Melbourne. For something sweet, you must try the Poffertjes, mini dutch pancakes with a house made nutella sauce.

The Merri Clan also have a full bar with smoothies, a vegan wine list, beer and cocktails.